Gramophone



April 1, 1924. 1,488,781 J. H. DRAPER ET AL GnAMoPHoNE 'Filed Aug. 1e. 1923 '2 sheets-sheet 1 April 1 1924. 1,488,731

1 .1. H. DRAPER Er A1.

GRAMOPHONE Filed Aug. 16. 1925 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventors UA QW LLLM.'

Attorney.

Patented Apr. l, i924.

UNITED STATES rasata PATENT orales.

`TOI-IN HENRY DRAPER, F ENFELD, AND HARRY VILLIAIi/I PALMER, 0F HANWELL, LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO THE AEOLIAN COMPANY LIMITED, OF LONDON,

ENGLAND, A. BRITISH COMPANY.

GRAMGPHONE.

Application led Augustl, 1923-. Serial No. 657,770.

To @ZZ whom t may cof/wem:

'Be it known that we, JOHN HENRY DRAPER and HARRY VILLIAM PALMER, subjects of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing, respectively, at The Limes,

Chase Side, Eniield, England, and 100 Cowper Road, Hanwell, London, W'. 7, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Relating to Gramophones, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to portable gramophones in which a lid is provided to cover the turntable of the instrument and to form with the body of the casing a compact article which may be carried by means of a handle attached to the casing.

In such instruments in order that the over-all height of the closed instrument may be reduced as much as possible it is usual for the tone arm to be removably or hingedly mounted in the operative position so that when not in use it may be stowed in a convenient manner within the casing.

The invention has yfor its object to provide a convenient construction of such an instrument.

According to the invention the grainephone is provided with a top plate or motor supporting plate which is removable from the casing or hinged to the casing and with a tone arm which is carried by a yfitting or bracket hingedly or pivotally mounted upon the casing or upon a support fitting therein, so that the fitting or bracket may be turned through an angle to position the tone arm when not in use below the level of the said plate.

According to the invention, moreover, in a portable gramophone the tone arm may be carried upon a hingedly or pivotally mounted fitting or bracket such that when not in use the tone arm may be inverted below the level of the top plate or motor supporting plate.

The iitting or bracket supporting the tone arm may be of metal, wood or any other suitable material. It may, for example, be' formed as a portion of the top plate or motor supporting plate which is hinged along one wall of the cabinet or to a supporting member mounted therein. Thus when the instrument is to be closed the tone arm may be revolved into a position below the said plat-e. Again, it may be formed as a' metal fitting suitably disposed in relation to the top-plate and adapted to be revolved in a similar manner to bring the tone arm below the level of the said plate. Or again, instead of being` hinged along an edge the said fitting may be pivoted on a line diametrically disposed in relation to the foot of the tone arm in such manner that it may be rotated to bring the tone arm into the desired position below the top-plate.

It will be understood that the fitting or bracket, whatever its construction, is adapted to bring the base of the tone arm into correct relation with the inner end of the enclosed amplifying horn or like device when it is adjusted into the position for the use of the tone arm.

It will be understood that a suitable recess may be provided in the cabinet for the reception of the tone arm when not in use and such recess may be provided with suitable supports or seatings upon which the tone arm may rest. The said recess may be itted with avcover-plate which may when closed be flush with the top-platek of the cabinet or the top-plate of the cabinet may itself extend over the said recess and be provided to hinge either wholly or partly for the purpose of exposing the recess. The

tone arm may, however, be provided to be received within the motor compartment of the cabinet or within the enclosed horn when not in use. i

The invention is illustrated in the accoms panying drawings by way of example.

Figure l is a plan view of a portable gramophone according to the invention, the topplate being raised.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the gramophone illustrated in Figure 1, the tone arm and top plate being in the operative positions. l

In carrying the invention into effect in accordance with the construction illustrated in the drawings, a cabinet a is provided having the top-plate or motor-supporting plate b hinged at one side and adapted to rest at the other side upon the upper face of a fitting c serving as Vthe inner end of the enclosed horn and upon a support or block al. Thetop-plate b is fitted with a pivoted arm 4b1 adapted to slide within a pivotally mounted guide a2 carried upon the rear wall of the cabinet; the free end of the arm b1 is formed with stops or lugs to prevent complete withdrawal from the guide a2 and is advantageously provided with a resilient portion adapted to cause friction with the guide. The fitting c is conveniently disposed within one corner of the cabinet t and it may extend to the front wall of the cabinet if desirable. rlhe said front wall is provided with a hinged or sliding door l for the control of the volume of sound emitted and for closing the horn when not in use. The said door d is advantageously adapted to swing inwardly and to form a part of the wall of the horn when in the inner position, in which also it may serve partially to support the top-plate The bracket or fitting e carrying the tone arm]c is conveniently formed as a plate of rectangular or other lform which, when the instrument is in use, forms a corner of the top-plate b which is cut away accordingly-` The said fitting or bracket is hinged at e1 upon the inner upper edge of the fitting c forming the horn and carries the tone arm by means of a suitable metal socket f1 secured upon the upper-face. The bracket or fitting e is advantageously fitted with a spring ball or like catch e2 adapted for engagement with a socket or recess c1 provided upon the fitting c or in the adjacent wall of the cabinet.

When the instrument is required to be closed the tone arm is rst swung outwardly from the turntable g, the top plate Z) of the instrument is then raised and the tone arm f together with the fitting or bracket e supporting it is revolved about the'hinge el of the bracket so that it comes to lie within the motor compartment below the top-plate b which may then be returned to its normal position. A seating or carrier h may be provided within the casing to receive the tonearm when in the motor compartment, and means such as a clip or suitable retaining member h1 may be provided to retain the tone arm in position. Suitable pads of felt or like material may be provided upon the top-plate as at b2 to prevent damage to the suid box when the instrument is being carrie The lid z' of the cabinet is provided of a depth only sufficient to enclose the turntable g of the instrument, and it may be provided with a rubber pad or annular fitting of wood or metal adapted when the lid is closed to rest upon the turntable at the centre and thus prevent any danger of movement of the table when the machine is carried. The lid may be provided with a hinged arm y' to determine the amount to which it may be opened and such arm may be so provided that when the lid is closed it is received within the space left vacant by the tting or bracket carryingthe tone arm when the latter has been stowed within the motor compartment. The lid may carry upon the rearward wall a pad l of felt or rubber upon which the sound box may be rested when the instrument is in use and a record is being placed upon or removed from the turntable g. Clips or sockets 7c for the reception of the winding handle Z of the motor may be provided in the cabinet or on the lid and a similar clip may be provided for a box of needles. lt is, however, advantageous to provide a receptacle m for needles recessed into the top plate b such receptacle being provided with a lid adapted to close under spring action.

It will be understood that the usual speed regulator n and brake o are provided and may be conveniently carried upon the topplate of the cabinet in the usual manner. The lid z' may be provided with projecting steady pins 2 adapted to be received in metal sockets a3- itted in the upper surface of the walls of the cabinet for the purpose of preventing relative lateral movement of the lid with reference to the cabinet and a similar pin Z1 and socket b3 or sockets may be provided upon the horn door and top-plate of the cabinet for the purpose of maintaining the door d either in the open or closed position or in any intermediate position that may be desirable. The lid may be retained in the closed position by means of a suitable lock, clip or snap fastening p mounted upon the front-wall of the cabinet. The top-plate b is advantageously fitted with a handle b4 by which it may be lift-ed about the hinge, and a carrying handle g is suitably fitted upon one wall of the cabinet.

It will be understood that the invention is notV limited to any particular feature of construction as hereinbefore described as it is clear that the invention can be carried into effect irrespective of the particular form of the parts of the instrument.

We claim:

l. A gramophone including a cabinet, a motor supporting board hinged to the cabinet and extending across the same and having a cut away portion, a. tone arm, a bracket hinged independently of the motor board and filling the cutaway portion of the latter and carrying the tone arm and arranged to swing downward with the tone arm to a position beneath the moto-r board, when the latter is swung upward.

2. A portable gramophone including a cabinet, a motor supporting plate hinged to the cabinet at one side thereof, and arranged to swing upwardly and downwardly to Vand from a horizontal position, a fixed horn member arranged within the cabinet at the opposite side thereof and supporting the free edge of the motor board, a tone arm hinged to the horn member and arranged to swing from an upper position above the motor board into the cabinet when the motor board is swung upwardly.

3. A portable gramophone including a cabinet, a motor supporting plate hinged to the cabinet at one side thereof, and arranged to swing upwardly from a horizontal position, a fixed horn member arranged within the cabinet at the opposite side thereof and supporting the free edge of the motor` board, a tone arm hinged to the horn member at the inner side of the same and arranged to swing downwardly from a position above the motor 10 board to a position within the cabinet at one side of the horn member and a bracket can red by the horn member and arranged to support the outer ends of the tone arms.

JOHN HENRY DRAPER. Y HARRY WILLIALI PALMER. 

